Costa del Sol – Spania

Alcaidesa

Alcaidesa is a large urbanization at the western end of the Costa del Sol, in the municipality of
La Linea and San Roque, located in the Campo de Gibraltar (Cadiz province). The Rock itself is
close by.

Two access roads link Alcaidesa to the A7 coastal motorway. As well as a tourist resort, it is an
upmarket residential area for those working in Algeciras, La Linea and Gibraltar. The
development boasts good beaches and beautiful Mediterranean views.

The resort was developed in the early 1990s by Alcaidesa Inmobiliaria SA, a joint venture
between Costain PLC (British) and Banesto Bank (Spanish). Thanks to a Comité de Control de
Arquitectura (Architectural Control Committee), Alcaidesa’s buildings are all constructed within
set style guidelines – basically, they have to look like traditional pueblo houses - as well as the
growth of the development itself being restricted. There is also a careful balance between villas,
townhouses and apartments, to keep the appearance of a town, rather than row upon row of
identical villas, as in most urbanizaciones.

Sotogrande

At the western end of Malaga´s Costa del Sol, but actually within the municipality of San Roque
in Cadiz Province, is Sotogrande, one of the most luxurious sports and residential developments
in Europe. Its 2,500 hectares (6,178 acres) encompass all the amenities you could imagine to
complement the Polo, Golf and beach clubs, world class marina and incredible bars and
restaurants. All this makes Sotogrande a unique experience for residents and visitors alike.

Our Luxury Villas page outlines property sale and rental options. Alternatively view
our Sotogrande Hotels page.

Being at the western end of the Costa del Sol, Sotogrande is convenient for Tarifa and
Alcornocales Natural Park and Gibraltar.

Off resort shops are located in the nearby villages of Pueblo Nuevo and Torreguadiaro and
historic village of San Roque where the town hall is located. It is half an hour´s drive to the
nightlife of Marbella and the Costa del Sol.

Duquesa

Puerto de la Duquesa is one of the Costa del Sol's marinas that is enjoyed by sailors and tourists
alike. Located one hour's drive from the airport of Malaga and 45 minutes form Gibraltar airport.
La Duquesa seems like a thousand miles away from the throng of the holiday resorts. It is
relatively quiet during most of the year. The restaurants come alive in July and August.
Duquesa, as it is known locally, enjoys an advantageous location to the west of Marbella . The
essence in this distinction is that the area retains a vast amount of unspoiled natural scenery and
authentic local character - while sharing the fantastic climate of the rest of the Costa del Sol.

The beautiful port of Duquesa offers full Marina services for boating enthusiasts as well as a
myriad of attractions for those with no aspirations to take to the water. For those that a do, a
number of companies offer Jet Boat, Wake Board, Boat trips and Scuba Diving. The attractive
promenades surrounding the port offer a variety of restaurants, intimate bars and cafes.

Sabinillas

The present-day fishing village is a new settlement which developed over the last century or so.
Like most towns on the Costa del Sol, it has seen rapid growth over the last few decades.

Since the construction of Punta Almina estate in the 1980s, Sabinillas has become a popular
place for foreign residents including those working in Gibraltar. The most recent developments
are the improvements to Avenida Manilva, the construction of the seafront promenade and the
underpass for the traffic on the coast road A-7.

Pavement cafes and bars have flourished along with the opening of new banks and real estate offices.
The village has a working atmosphere for those who want a touch of what is probably the only real Spain
left on the western Costa del Sol.

Manilva

One of the most charming aspects of Manilva is that, despite its prime location on the coast, there is a
refreshing lack of anonymous sky-scraper construction. Therefore, although tourists are just starting to
discover the village (with good reason), it remains intrinsically Spanish. The majority of residents live in
the commercial centre which covers just two square kilometers.

Within the municipality of Manilva there are several communities. The white village of Manilva itself is
located a few kilometers inland from the little fishing village on the coast known as San Luis de Sabinillas
or just Sabinillas for short. To the west of Sabinillas there is a quiet yachting marina called Puerto
Duquesa with its surrounding residential area and golf course. To the west again is another small fishing
hamlet called Castillo de la Duquesa after the castle still found there. West along the coast there are
various housing developments as far as Punta Chullera.

The municipality covers an area of 35 square kilometers. There are about 17,000 full time
residents and a further 14,000 who reside here on a temporary basis or have holiday homes. The
economy of Manilva is based on agriculture and fishing and, more recently, tourism.

The area's agriculture mainly consists of crops grown near the river bed and valleys. The river
Manilva is the eastern boundary of the municipality. Grapes consist of a large proportion of the
crop - used for the well-known locally produced sweet wines. Some of the finest, grapes, red
peppers and garlics are all home grown in this quaint village and are often for sale in roadside
stalls, direct from the farmers.

The town has a fascinating history which dates back to Roman times and still today there are some
remarkably well-preserved Roman Sulphur baths and an Aqueduct. The Moors who favoured this
location left and the town gradually faded away. In the 16th century the towns of Malaga, Marbella and
Ronda were concerned that the coastline to the south of them was unprotected so they offered free
land to poorer peasants in the north of Spain. There had to be a catch, indeed there was. Their area was
still subject to raids from Moorish and Turkish pirates. To give the new arrivals a fighting chance of
surviving a village was sited on a small hill 3km inland.

Casares

Casares is a picture postcard village with a population of just three thousand and the view from
the approach is definitely worth a photo.

To say that Casares is beautiful is an understatement. Most of the white villages are beautiful but
there is something very special about the sight of Casares that causes the visitor to park the car
and simply stare or take a photo. There are the sugar cubes again, piled precariously high and
just nudging the battlements of an Arab castle. It is hard to believe that this enchanting, typical
village is only nine miles from the hustle and bustle of the coast and somehow succeeded in
avoiding the coach tour circuit.

Estepona

With an population of 70,000, Estepona is one of the few coastal towns that has succeeded in
maintaining its pueblo charm and character. Notwithstanding, all the tourist facilities are here,
including hotels, restaurants, leisure and cultural activities, and shops.

The numerous street cafes and tapas bars still serve traditional Spanish delicacies. In the 'old
town' the steep, narrow streets are pedestrianised and decorated with different colour flower
pots. It is a delight for photographers. You will find bars and small shops in Estepona, where
you'd least expect them, all very inviting and friendly.